The use of literary techniques in the extract, Killed at Resaca, by Ambrose Bierce

Ambrose Bierce writes in the first person, which has significant relevance to the way in which the theme is resented and to the way in which women are portrayed. In the last line, ““He was bitten by a snake,” I replied”, he represents the bitterness that the narrator has, not only for the Marian, but also against women in general. The narrator does not have enough respect for Marian to tell her the truth about Brayle. The values like bravery and honour are values that the narrator sees of importance. This also aids to the bitterness towards Marian and the letter she writes to Brayle, stating how courage is the most important thing to her. She disregards the letter when the narrator returns it and is this response; he sees that she is incapable of true love, but rather the idea of love, that being with the perfect soldier that runs out in the front line showing his courageous character. “Is women weak?” This is another example of the disposition of women- he is commenting on her character and whether or not she has the strength to be true to a man. The Narrator had, “involuntarily risen to rescue the scrap of paper”, shows us that he found the letter sacred because of the fact that lieutenant Brayle did not cower back because of what was written in the letter. His own views are the influence of the direction in this extract and are very clear by the way he perceives women and by which he measures bravery and honour.

The use of irony in the passage is shown as the two contrasting ideas, heaven and hell, are a significant part in the them, betrayal, as it portrays Marian Mendenhall, the women with whom the Herman Brayle was involved with to be the one that “pushed Brayle over the edge”. Brayle did not want to turn back and retreat because of his love for Marian and he knew that she regarded courage as a quality that her man should have. I could bear to hear of my soldier lover’s death, but not of his cowardice”. The situational irony is that the letter that Marian wrote to Brayle is responsible for the death of Brayle, and ultimately the death of a hundred men, serving under Brayle. “He could not go forward, he would not turn back; he stood awaiting death.” We can see the contrast between the high-class neighborhood and the battlefields as another ironic factor because one would expect that the hate or unpleasantness would have taken place on the battlefield, rather than in a “handsome dwelling on Rincon Hill”, with a well-bred and charming women. Another ironic factor is the name of the man that wrote to Marian telling her about Brayle’s cowardice, Mr. Winters. His name is interpreted as “doing anything to win her” -Mr. Winters. Her name is ironic because, Marian Mendenhall is interpreted as “marry a man” and Mendenhall is “room or hall full of men”, meaning that Marian is quite fussy; even though she has a few men after her, she will not just settle with one.

The narrator defends Brayle’s honour in the last line of the writing by not giving Marian the satisfaction of another man she has influenced in such a way, that she was able to control his life and, death. The letter is the key in the writing; Brayle dies over it, the narrator fights for it as well as generates his disliking towards Marian because of her reaction towards the letter. The contrast between Heaven and Hell is prominent throughout the writing and plays a role on portraying the theme-betrayal. Marian betrays Brayle by her reaction to, the fact that the narrator suggests that he died one of the bravest and truest of hearts on the field, and her reaction to the letter that so easily killed Brayle and so many serving under him. “Is women weak?” Yes, women are weak in this writing and narrator makes it very clear.